Visible index



A. VON AUW VISIBLE NDEX June 17, 1930.

Filed June 15 i lll l L Patented June 17,` 1930 UNITED STAT-Es PATENT ori-fier A-.LWIN VON AUW, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOE TO BODRUM & IEEASE` COMPANY,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VISIBLE INDEX Application led June 15,

This invention relates to the overlapping type of visible index card having a hinged slidable mounting and is in the nature of an improvement upon cards having ears outside the body of the card at either side and parallel to those sides.

Heretofore, I have found itv advantageous to give to the lower tip of the depending ear in the process of manufacture a permanent dorsal bend in order to aid the accurate interengagement between the cards when a new card is being added to a column in a panel, for example.

One object of this invention is to provide a depending ear card, in which the lower tip ofA the ear may be normally depressed without the necessity of permanently depressing the ear during the process vof manufact-ure.

Another object is to provide an index card in which the ears are protected against accidental injury or removal. Other objects will appear as the cards are described.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a number of cards made according to my invention and mounted upon a panel;

Figure 2 is a portion of a plan view of a cardmade according to my invention, broken to show a detail;

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure 2 showing modifications; and

A Figure 5 is an end view looking from right to left of the upper portion of a card such as shown'in Figures 2, 3 or 4.

The cards of my invention are of the general type shown in my Patent No. 1,649,763, Nov. 15, 1927, and application Ser. No. 278,587, filed May 17, 1928, in which the cards 12 are hinged at 15 and are provided adjacent their upper edge 19 with lateral depending ears 14, severed from the body of the cards upy to the point 16, which is the topmost point of each free side edge of the cards and is below the top edge of the card and at or slightly above the hinge line 15.

I have found that the dorsal bend, which insures the straddle between adjacent cards, may be given to the tip 35 of the ear by securing the reinforcing lstrip 2O across the top yof the rear of the card. The strip 2O extends 1928.y serial No. 285,581'.

from the lateral edge 22 of one ear to the lateral edge 23 of the other ear, and from thetop edge 19 of the card to a point 21 below the hinge but above thetip of the ear 35. rIlhe strip is slit along the lineof severance of the ear from the body Vof the card 12, up to the point of severance 16. rIhus thevear, except for the tip 35, is covered by the reinforcing strip 20, and the hinge line 15 is `also covered by the strip 20. I make the strip of flexible, tough material such as linen, muslin or the like. I make the body and ears of the card of sheet material such as paper, cardboard or any suitable material.'

In the process of manufacture the tip of the ear may be pressed to lie dorsal to the body 12 of the card, as shown in Fig. 5. But even if this step is not included in manufacturing my improved card, in the process of use after the card has been inserted once or twice upon a panel 10, for example, it will acquire and permanently retain the dorsally depressed tip 35 shown in Fig. 5. This is due .to the relativethinness of the tip 35 as conipared'with the otherwise reinforced ear 14, and tothe definite 'crease line afforded by the bottom linei21 of the reinforcement.

kWhen a new card is added to the panel 10,

the ears above it and the'relatively thin tip v 35 will be bent down at 21 by the pressure of the earsand the flange above it.

The reinforcing strip 2O also improves my card in that it strengthens the upper part of the card and'of the ears by which the card is supported and spaced in the panel. rIhere is much strain at the line where the ear 14 joins the body of the card, that is from 16, the point of severance of ear and body, to the top edge 19 of the card, with the result that heretofore the ears 14 have frequently been torn from the cards. The ears were alsoy apt to become crumpled in use, and the cards were v apt tear apart at the hinge line. In my im- Vproved reinforced card the liability to tearing or crumpling is greatly reduced.

The preferred form of my improved card is that shown in Figs. l and 2 in which there is cut in the card at the hinge line a long slot 15a extending almost but not quite to' the point of severance 16. Viliile the dimensions of the slot and the distance between its end and thepoiiit 16A are optional, I have found it usefulv to make the slot about onersixteenth of an inchwide, and to'have it terminate about one fourth of an inch from the free side edge of the body of the card. Having the slot of such a substantial width gives a inarked degree of hinge protection. That is to sa* for the length of the slot the bending all occurs on the reinforcing strip rather than on the paper or other material of which the body ofthe card l2 is composed. rllhis will lessen the liability of the paper of the card to become detached or peel away from the strip 2O at the upper and lower edges of the slot. Furthermore, by having a slot of this substantial width, the hinging or bending will not always occur at the same point, and the life of the hinge and therefore of the card will be lengthened. p l

By keeping the one-fourth inch of the body of the card at each end of the slot 15 the card is strengthened at its point of greatest strain, that is at the juncture between the ear and the body vof the card. However, l sometimes make my cards with the slot l5b running from ear to ear, as shown in Fig. 3. lf preferred, the cards may also be made with a series of short slotslC as shown in Fig. d. Other variations of details within my invenk tion will occur to those skilled in the art.

claim:-

l. A visible index card comprising a body portion and a depending ear at either side of said body portion adjacent the upper edge,

said body portion being hinged on a line reaching from one free sidel edge of said body portion to the other, and a reinforcing strip across the top of they rear of said card and covering each ear, except'tlie lower tip n thereof.

Q. A visible index card comprising a body portion and a depending ear ateitherfside of said bodv portion adjacent the upper edge, said body reaching from one free side edge of said body portion to the other near the top, and a reinportion being hinged on a line forcing strip on said card covering the hinge l line.

.across the top of the rear of said card and covering the ears, except the lower tips therestrip covering the rear of each ear except. the lower tip thereof, andgiving the main" portions of said ear a 'materially greater thickness than said tip. Y 5. A visible index card comprising a body Vportion andi afdepending ear at either side of said body portion adjacent the upper edge, saidbody portion being hinged on a line reaching from one free side edge of said Abody portion to the other, said ears being reinforced substantially as described.

'6. A visible index card 'compri-singe body portion and a depending` ear at either side of said body portion adjacentthe upper edge, said body portion being hingedyon a line reaching from one free side edge of said body portion to the other, saidV card being reinforced substantially as described;`

7. A visible index card including a body portion and suspending and spacing means outside'said body portion comprising a depending ear oined thereto on each side adj acent the upper edge thereof, and severed from each free'sideV edge of the body portion to a point below the top edge of the card, said body portion being hinged on 'the line joining said points, in coinbinationY with a reinforcing strip across the top' ofthe rear of the card covering the hinge line and, lying on i both sides thereof, the body 'of the card being cut away alongl the hinge line almost but lnot quite to the said limiting points of severance between the body of the cards and pending ear joined. thereto on each side adjacent the upper edge thereof and severed from each free side edge of the body portion to a point below the 'top edge of the card,

saidbod iortion beine hinged on the line y e o joining said points, in combination with a f reinforcing strip across the` top of the rear of the card covering the hinge line and lying l on both sides thereof, the body of the card being cut away along the hinge line almost but not quite to the said liniitino' points of Y severance between the body of the cards and the ears, and the re'inforcinor strip extending to the vlateral edges of said ears and spaced above the lower tips of said ears.' Y

9. A' visible index card including` a body portion and suspending and spacing mea s outside said body portion comprising a de-' pending ear joinedV thereto on each side acent the upper edge thereof and severed fromr each free side edge of the body portion to a point below the top edge of the card, said body portion being hinged on the line joining said points, in combination with a reinforcing strip across the top of the rear of the card covering the hinge line and lying on both sides thereof, the body of the card being cut away along the hinge line almost but not quite to the said limiting points of severance between the body of the card and the ears, and the reinforcing strip extending to the lateral edges of said ears and spaced above the lower tip of said ears, said ears being creased at the lower edge of the strip so that the lower tips of the ears are bent at an angle dorsal to the body of the card.

l0. A visible index card comprising a body portion and a depending ear at either side of said body portion adjacent the upper edge, said body portion being hinged on a line reaching from one free side edge of said body portion to the other, and a reinforcing strip on the rear of the card covering the hinge line and lying on both sides thereof and extending to the lateral edges of the ears, the lower edge of said strip being spaced above the lower tip of said ears.

ll. A visible index card comprising a body portion and a depending ear at either side of said body portion adjacent the upper edge,

said body portion being hinged on a line reaching from one free side edge of said body portion to the other, and a reinforcing strip on the rear of the card covering the hinge line and lying on both sides thereof and extending to the lateral edges of the ears, the lower edge of said strip being spaced above the lower tip of said ears, and the lower tip of said ears being bent at an angle dorsal to the body of the card.

l2. A visible index card made of one integral piece of sheet material comprising a body portion and a depending ear on either side of said body portion adjacent the upper edge, said ears being separated from the body portion below the junction between said body portion and said ears, in combination with a reinforcing strip covering the rear of each ear except the lower tip thereof.

13. A visible index comprising a panel having inwardly facing opposed flanges in combination with a seriesof overlapping hinged cards each comprising a body portion overlying the body portion of the card below and a depending ear attached to each side of the body portion adjacent its upper edge underlying the corresponding flange and the ear of the card below,-and a reinforcing strip along the top of the rear of each card cover-v ing each ear except the lower tip thereof.

14. A visible index comprising a panel having inwardly facing opposed flanges in combination with la series of overlapping hinged cards each comprising a body portion overlying the body portion of the card below and a depending ear attached to each side of the body portion adjacent its upper edge underlying the corresponding flange and the ear of the card below, and a reinforcing strip on the card covering the hinge line and lying on both sides thereof and extending to the lateral edges of the ears.

l5. A visible index comprising a panel having inwardly facing opposed flanges in combination with a series of overlapping l16. A visible index comprising a panel having inwardly facing opposed flanges in combination with a series of overlapping hinged cards each comprising a body portion overlying the body portion of the card below and a depending ear attached to each side of the body portion adjacent its upper edge underlying the corresponding flange and the ear of the card below and a reinforcing strip on the rear of the card covering the hinge line and lying on both sides thereof and extending to the lateral edges of the ears, the lower edge of said strip being spaced above the lower tip of said ears, the body of the card being cutJ away along the hinge line almost but not quite to the points of severance between the body of the card and the ears.

17. A visible index card comprising a body portion and a depending ear at either side of said body portion adjacent the upper edge,

said body portion being hinged on a line CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,765,193. Granted Tune 17, 1930, to

ALWIN VON Auw.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page l, line 55, after the sentence ending "ear 55." insert "Making the reinforcement one continuous strip extending from lateral edge to lateral edge of the card is optional."; same page, line 100, after "apt" insert "to"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record o the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of July, A. D. 1930.

Wm. A. Kinnan, 1 (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

